North Carolina State University Athletics
State to Play at No. 4 UNC Thursday on ESPN3
10/9/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 9, 2013
Match 14 - UNC 
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RALEIGH, N.C. – Following one Sunday away from competition, the NC State women’s soccer team returns to action Thursday evening, traveling to face No. 4 North Carolina at 7 p.m. The match will be broadcast live to a national audience on ESPN3.
In its last match action, the Wolfpack fell on the road at the hands of Maryland, 3-0. Freshman goalkeeper Karly Gustafson made a career-high 10 saves in the match and both Jackie Stengel and Caroline Gentry recorded two shots. Following the match, State still holds a 14-12-6 edge in the all-time series with the Terrapins.
QUALITY OPPOSITION
NC State’s losses in 2013 have come against very difficult opposition. The teams which have defeated the Wolfpack this season have combined to accumulate a 61-19-8 record. Two of these teams are still undefeated (No. 3 Florida State and No. 6 Georgetown).
SHARING THE BALL
Five NC State student-athletes have recorded two or more assists in 2013. Shelli Spamer and Meagan Proper are tied for the team lead with five apiece while Brittany Stanko (2), Jessica Baity (2), and Jennie Krauser (2) have also had a knack for setting up teammates to score.
STEADY SOLDAT
Heading into Thursday’s match at No. 4 North Carolina, senior defender Randi Soldat has appeared in 64 matches, the most of any active Wolfpack student-athlete. Soldat, an electrical engineering major, has played in 1,109 of a possible 1,170 minutes in 2013. No player has spent more time on the field this season.
SCORING AT WILL
Freshman forward Jackie Stengel has been an incredible offen­sive force for the Wolfpack this season, scoring eight goals in 13 matches. This currently ranks her tied for sixth place among freshmen in program history. Stengel’s eight goals rank fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season.
DOUBLE-DIGIT SAVES
Freshman goalkeeper Karly Gustafson made a career-high 10 saves on Oct. 3 at Maryland. In addition to being the most saves she’s made in a single match, it also marked the highest single-match total for the Wolfpack in 2013.
RPI IMPROVEMENT
NC State has seen a significant improvement in its RPI position from the end of the 2012 season to now. The Wolfpack ended last season with an RPI mark of 188 and currently sits 66th among the 327 teams in NCAA Division I soccer.
SCOUTING THE TAR HEELS
-North Carolina enters Thursday’s match the owner of a 10-2 record which includes a 4-2 mark in ACC play
-After dropping two straight matches early in league play, the Tar Heels are currently on a three-match winning streak, outscoring foes 8-1 in the process
-The Tar Heels are currently ranked No. 4 in the country by the NSCAA and hold the top RPI spot in the nation
-UNC has outscored its opponents 26-7 in 2013, led by Crystal Dunn’s nine goals (29th in the NCAA)
-The Tar Heels average 2.17 assists per match, a mark which ranks 28th in the country
-UNC fills its goalkeeper position by committee, as Bryane Heaberlin (540 minutes in net) and Anna Sieloff (521 minutes in net) have split the duties almost evenly in 2013
NC STATE - NORTH CAROLINA SERIES HISTORY
-Thursday’s match will mark the 46th all-time meeting between NC State and North Carolina
-UNC holds a 42-1-2 advantage in the all-time series
-The Wolfpack’s lone victory over the Tar Heels came during the 2002 season when NC State defeated then-No. 1 North Carolina in Raleigh by a final score of 2-1
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